1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to cartons fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard. In particular, the present invention is directed to cartons that are configured for rapid set-up.
2. Prior Art
A rapid deployment carton is disclosed in Mueller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,782. The carton of Mueller ""782 has an automatic bottom panel, which extends from a side panel, and has two converging reverse-scored fold lines, which extend outwardly from the side panel. End flaps are folded up form the automatic bottom and are adhesively connected to the end panels to form double ply side walls. One of the end flaps has a diagonal fold line, with portions of the flap above the diagonal fold line only being adhered to the end panel. The angles of the reverse scored fold lines are selected to allow the automatic bottom panel to be deployed from a folded position alongside the side and end panels to an assembled position perpendicular to the side and end panels, by displacing one side panel with respect to the other.
However, the Mueller ""782 carton employs a bottom panel design which requires complex folding and gluing steps, in order to convert the raw die cut blank into a collapsed box.
It would be desirable to provide a carton, fabricated from paper, paperboard or corrugated paperboard, that has a self-deploying or at least partially self-deploying bottom structure, to enable rapid set-up from a collapsed configuration to a ready-to-use configuration.
It would further be desirable to provide such a carton, that has an improved bottom panel configuration, that provides for simpler folding and gluing of the bottom panels to the side walls, to create the collapsed carton.
These and other desirable characteristics of the present invention will become apparent in view of the present specification, including claims, and drawings.
The present invention comprises, in part, a carton, having a self-deploying bottom, comprising four serially connected rectangular sidewalls. Each sidewall is pivotably connected to the two sidewalls serially adjacent to it, so that the four sidewalls may be articulated between a substantially flattened orientation and an articulated set-up orientation, in which the four sidewalls are positioned in a rectangular configuration.
A first bottom panel is pivotably connected to a first one of the sidewalls, the first bottom panel having a first portion emanating along a first bottom panel first fold line from the first one of the sidewalls and a second portion, emanating from the first portion of the first bottom panel along a first bottom panel first fold line extending at an oblique angle to the first bottom panel first fold line.
A first deployment panel is pivotably connected to a second one of the side walls serially adjacent to the first one of the sidewalls, the first deployment panel having a first portion emanating along a first deployment panel first fold line from the second one of the sidewalls and a second portion, emanating from the first portion of the first deployment panel along a first deployment panel second fold line extending at an oblique angle to the first deployment panel first fold line.
The second portion of the first bottom panel and the second portion of the first deployment panel are pivotably connected along a first deployment panel third fold line extending substantially normal to at least one of the first bottom panel first fold line and the first deployment panel first fold line, when the carton is in its set-up configuration;
A second deployment panel is pivotably connected to a third one of the sidewalls, serially adjacent to the first one of the sidewalls, at an end of the first one of the sidewalls opposite the first deployment panel, the second deployment panel having a first portion emanating from the third one of the sidewalls along a second deployment panel first fold line, and a second portion emanating from the first portion of the second deployment panel along a second deployment panel second fold line.
An inside surface of the first portion of the first deployment panel is juxtaposed to and connected to an inside surface of the second one of the sidewalls.
An inside surface of the second portion of the second deployment panel is juxtaposed to and connected to an outside surface of the first bottom panel;
A second bottom panel is pivotably connected to a bottom edge of a fourth one of the sidewalls.
When the carton is in its flattened configuration, the first bottom panel is juxtaposed and parallel to the inside surface of the first sidewall, the first deployment panel is juxtaposed and parallel to the inside surface of the second sidewall, and the second portion of the second deployment panel is folded back upon the first portion of the second deployment panel;
Upon movement of the carton from its flattened configuration to the set-up configuration, the second portions of the first and second deployment panels pull the first bottom panel down to a position perpendicular to the sidewalls when the sidewalls attain their rectangular set-up configuration.
The second bottom panel is subsequently folded down to a position juxtaposed and parallel to and above the first bottom panel.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton further comprises at least two interlocking top panels emanating from top edges of at least two of the sidewalls, for creating a closure of the top of the carton.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton further comprises a top panel emanating from the top edge of each of the sidewalls, wherein at least two of the top panels have free edges operably configured to interlock with one another to provide a closure of the top of the carton.
Preferably, the first bottom panel and the first deployment panels are contiguous and monolithically formed. In an embodiment of the invention, the second bottom panel is discontiguously formed with respect to the first bottom panel. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first bottom panel, the first deployment panel and the second deployment panel are contiguously and monolithically formed.
The present invention also comprises, in part, a carton, having a self-deploying bottom, comprising four serially connected rectangular sidewalls.
Each sidewall is pivotably connected to the two sidewalls serially adjacent to it, so that the four sidewalls may be articulated from a substantially flattened orientation, to a set-up orientation, in which the four sidewalls are positioned in a rectangular configuration;
A first bottom panel is pivotably connected to a first one of the sidewalls, the first bottom panel having a first portion emanating along a first bottom panel first fold line from the first one of the sidewalls and a second portion, emanating from the first portion of the first bottom panel along a first bottom panel first fold line extending at an oblique angle to the first bottom panel first fold line.
A first deployment panel is pivotably connected to a second one of the side walls serially adjacent to the first one of the sidewalls, the first deployment panel having a first portion emanating along a first deployment panel first fold line from the second one of the sidewalls and a second portion, emanating from the first portion of the first deployment panel along a first deployment panel second fold line extending at an oblique angle to the first deployment panel first fold line.
The second portion of the first bottom panel and the second portion of the first deployment panel are pivotably connected along a first deployment panel third fold line extending substantially normal to at least one of the first bottom panel first fold line and the first deployment panel first fold line, when the carton is in its set-up configuration.
A second deployment panel is pivotably connected to a third one of the sidewalls, serially adjacent to the first one of the sidewalls, at an end of the first one of the sidewalls opposite the first deployment panel, the second deployment panel having a first portion emanating from the third one of the sidewalls along a second deployment panel first fold line, and a second portion emanating from the first portion of the second deployment panel along a second deployment panel second fold line.
The second portion of the second deployment panel is pivotably connected to the first bottom panel, along a second deployment panel third fold line to a third portion of the first bottom panel, that is in turn, connected to the first portion of the first bottom panel along a third bottom panel fold line that extends obliquely to the first bottom panel first and second fold lines.
An inside surface of the first portion of the first deployment panel is juxtaposed to and connected to an inside surface of the second one of the sidewalls.
An inside surface of the first portion of the second deployment panel is juxtaposed to and connected to an inside surface of the third one of the sidewalls.
A second bottom panel is pivotably connected to a bottom edge of a fourth one of the sidewalls.
When the carton is in its flattened configuration, the first and second portions of the first bottom panel are juxtaposed and parallel to the inside surface of the first sidewall, the third portion of the first bottom panel is folded back over the first portion of the first bottom panel, the first deployment panel is juxtaposed and parallel to the inside surface of the second sidewall, and the second portion of the second deployment panel is folded back upon the first portion of the second deployment panel.
Upon movement of the carton from its flattened configuration to the set-up configuration, the second portions of the first and second deployment panels pull the first bottom panel down to a position perpendicular to the sidewalls when the sidewalls attain their rectangular set-up configuration.
The second bottom panel is subsequently folded down to a position juxtaposed and parallel to and above the first bottom panel.
In this alternative embodiment of the invention, the carton further comprises at least two interlocking top panels emanating from top edges of at least two of the sidewalls, for creating a closure of the top of the carton. Preferably, the carton comprises a top panel emanating from the top edge of each of the sidewalls, wherein at least two of the top panels have free edges operably configured to interlock with one another to provide a closure of the top of the carton.